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Steelers could use Wallace’s “X” receiver spot against him
Posted by Evan Silva on July 26, 2012, 9:37 AM EDT

New Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley’s recent “X” receivers have had a great deal of success. In Dallas, Terrell Owens was Haley’s X wideout. In Arizona, it was Larry Fitzgerald. In Kansas City, Dwayne Bowe.

The Steelers want Mike Wallace to be Haley’s latest X receiver, but Wallace isn’t in camp. His training camp holdout became official Wednesday when Wallace didn’t report to team headquarters in a timely manner. Wallace wants a new contract, and is refusing to sign his one-year, $2.472 million tender. The Steelers are now saying they won’t negotiate with Wallace until he caves.

In the meantime, usual slot guy Emmanuel Sanders will practice in Wallace’s X receiver spot. And coach Mike Tomlin says the Steelers will focus on Sanders’ development until something gives with Wallace.

“What I’m going to do is work with Emmanuel Sanders because he’s here, and be excited about doing it,” Tomlin told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Should Wallace’s holdout last especially long, it will be interesting to see whether the Steelers begin giving Antonio Brown reps at the featured X receiver position. Brown played well enough down the stretch last year — statistically outproducing Wallace — that there is some feeling Brown might develop into Pittsburgh’s best receiver.

And the Steelers could send another message to Wallace by giving his position in the new offense to a player who did report to camp, and who possesses quite a bit of talent in his own right.

See, that's what I'm talking about. I think Antonio Brown is a special player and is about to explode this season. I will make this bold prediction. Brown will catch 100+ balls this year on his way to yet another Pro Bowl season.

See, that's what I'm talking about. I think Antonio Brown is a special player and is about to explode this season. I will make this bold prediction. Brown will catch 100+ balls this year on his way to yet another Pro Bowl season.

Only this time he makes it as a receiver and Rainey makes it as a returner.

Steelers win, Wallace loses!!!! Only person who doesn't see that is Wallace.

Apparently, Bus Cook doesn't either. People can say what they want about Cook being the employee, but while that's technically true it is extremely simple-minded. Bus has negotiated some of the biggest deals in history and Wallace is a kid looking at his first big contract. Do you think he's going to believe what he's heard in a locker room or read in a forum over a battle-tested agent? That's like going to court and insisting on what you saw on Judge Judy over your Lawyers advice.

Mike's job is to catch balls for a living. Bus' job is to get as big a fee as he can for himself, which means getting Mike the biggest deal he can (assuming he works on a percentage).

Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders said that his foot injuries are behind him and he is ready to go for training camp.

“This year I am finally feeling good,” said Sanders. “I feel like the old Emmanuel. I don’t have to worry about is the foot going to hold up when I cut on certain routes. I am feeling good, I feel healthy and I am looking forward to it.”

Apparently, Bus Cook doesn't either. People can say what they want about Cook being the employee, but while that's technically true it is extremely simple-minded. Bus has negotiated some of the biggest deals in history and Wallace is a kid looking at his first big contract. Do you think he's going to believe what he's heard in a locker room or read in a forum over a battle-tested agent? That's like going to court and insisting on what you saw on Judge Judy over your Lawyers advice.

Mike's job is to catch balls for a living. Bus' job is to get as big a fee as he can for himself, which means getting Mike the biggest deal he can (assuming he works on a percentage).

Mike Wallace has an agent named Bus Cook, who has some high-profile NFL clients including Cam Newton and former great Brett Favre.

What he does not have in Mike Wallace, however, is his ear, apparently. According to sources, Wallace is driving the bus on this one. It is the wide receiver's idea to hold out of training camp and, because of it, his relationship with the Steelers has taken a new turn.

Kevin Colbert confirmed a story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Thursday that the Steelers have suspended negotiations with Wallace and his agent for a multiple-year contract, and that their last, best offer is off the table.

"We've chosen to not progress with negotiations at this point," Colbert said Thursday. "Once we made that decision, now we're in a different mode. We'll have to address any new negotiations if we get to that point."

Colbert said Wallace will have to sign the one-year tender of $2.7 million before they will resume negotiations on a multiple-year deal.

"Him not being here, really we have to focus on what we can control because we can't control that. Again, every negotiation is unique, you put your best foot forward. If it's not suitable for both parties, you have to adjust, and we're really in adjust-move-forward-mode right now."

Colbert said club officials did not know what Wallace would do as late as Tuesday, but that his no-show when training camp at Saint Vincent College opened Wednesday speaks volumes.

"I don't want to get into a lot of specifics of the negotiations because we don't do that as a rule -- but, at that point, he didn't indicate to us what his next course of action was to be other than we weren't going to have an agreement."

The Steelers long have had a policy of not negotiating with veteran holdouts, provided they still had time left on their contracts. Wallace's situation is unique to them because as a restricted free agent, he does not have a contract. His rights are restricted to them, however, and he has a standing one-year offer that was required under the rules for them to maintain those rights.

"This is unique because it's a restricted free agent that has a tender that can be signed, and you can still negotiate off of that," Colbert said.

Colbert said the slump Wallace experienced in the second half of last season has not affected the team's stance in negotiations. Wallace had only 393 of his 1,193 yards in the final eight games of the regular season, and then caught three passes for only 26 yards in their playoff loss at Denver. He made his first Pro Bowl and finished with a healthy 16.6 yards per catch and eight touchdowns. His 21.0-yard average in 2010 ranked second in the NFL after his rookie average of 19.4 yards.

"Players have up-and-down seasons, they have up-and-down periods during a season," Colbert said. "You look at the whole body of work and try to come to a conclusion what you think a player's worth and then you try to come to an agreement with him."

Colbert also denied that the Steelers do not value wide receivers highly. Hines Ward remains the only wide receiver in the free-agency era to receive a big contract (or more) after his initial contract. Others, such as Plaxico Burress, Antwaan Randle El, Santonio Holmes and Yancey Thigpen either left as free agents or, in Holmes' case, was traded.

The next move, Colbert said, is up to Wallace, and, while they will take phone calls from his agent, they will not be making them.

"Yeah, we have to move on. We have to prepare with the 89 guys who are here. You have to, you can't focus on who isn't here because you lose track of what you're supposed to be doing."

Sanders ready to step up

Emmanuel Sanders is not as fast as Wallace, but he says he's fast enough as he moves into the 'X' or split-end position that became open with the holdout.

"It's pretty good. At the combine, I ran a 4.4. I'm more than capable of getting the job done. Mike has world-class speed, but I got good speed, good speed to get behind any [defensive back], I feel."

Wallace's absence means more repetitions for Sanders with the first team and, more important, with Ben Roethlisberger. He and Jerricho Cotchery must know every wide receiver position.
"Being a third receiver, I really have to understand all three positions because if anyone goes down I'm the next one to fill in," Sanders said.

"It's always a benefit when you get more reps. You gain more chemistry with your quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, and I'm becoming a better player. I'm definitely taking advantage of it."

Roster considerations

With six players on the physically-unable-to-perform list and one holding out, the Steelers have only 83 of their 90-man roster available to practice. Colbert said they will look at bringing others in, but it also will depend on how thin they might get at one position.

"We'll always look at what's available and what type of cap room we have to maneuver and work with.

"There are players that didn't sign, there are players who will get flushed out ... we have to keep balance positionally.''

NFL training-camp rosters expanded from 80 to 90 this summer, however, so they have more practicing than they have in the past.

In the Absence of Mike Wallace, Emmanuel Sanders is the Next 'X' Receiver Up

by Neal Coolong on Jul 27, 2012

Steelers WR Emmanuel Sanders must be able to see the long line of 'x' receivers (split ends) from the Steelers' past.

During the Hines Ward Era in Pittsburgh, the torch was passed from Charles Johnson to Plaxico Burress to Antwaan Randle El to Cedrick Wilson to Santonio Holmes, and finally, the most recent, holdout Mike Wallace.

In the event Wallace doesn't sign his restricted free agency tender or a long-term contract extension, Sanders will be the next in that line. And if history holds up, Sanders should be prepared, because none of those former split ends received contract extensions from the Steelers.

It would give the Steelers the first two-receiver change-over from the previous season (likely Sanders and WR Antonio Brown) in quite some time. Not that Sanders is looking to make history, but he is looking to make an impact after an injury and tragedy-filled 2011 season.

As Post-Gazette reporter Ed Bouchette wrote Friday, it is Wallace, and not his agent, Bus Cook, who made the decision to hold out (the Steelers have suspended contract negotiations with Wallace until he reports to camp), so it is Sanders who's making the decision to grab the opportunity to be on the field.

As a rookie in 2010, it was Sanders, and not fellow rookie Brown, who was getting looks. He had 22 catches in the regular season, and had two already in Super Bowl XLV before a foot injury took him out of the game.

That injury lingered over much of training camp, and a knee injury eventually sidelined him for a few more games as Brown began emerging as the team's future star.

The death of his mother at the end of October caused him to miss some more time.

By the end of the year, Sanders caught 22 passes in 11 games, while Brown punched a ticket to the Pro Bowl with 69 catches and 1,108 yards. Sanders doesn't need to look within his own team for motivation, though. He's shown the talent playing both the flanker and split end positions, to succeed in the NFL, and in Wallace's absence, he'll have his chance to put everything together in his third year.